


To watch the leaves turn

by yuuago



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Autumn, Fluff, Gen, Horseback Riding, Post-Canon, Sibling Bonding, ToT: Chocolate Box
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-21 18:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8256281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuuago/pseuds/yuuago
Summary: Sometimes, Anna has good ideas. Elsa is so glad that she's finally able to share these moments with her.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sweetcarolanne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetcarolanne/gifts).



The autumn air was crisp and sharp and bright.

Everyone knew that soon the rain would come, pouring down for ages. Then, after a while, the snow would come, and it would stay for months.

Elsa was looking forward to the snow. For the first time since her childhood, she was looking forward to the winter in general – because this time, she wouldn't be spending it cooped up in her room alone. It would be different this time.

But there was a while to go before the first snow of winter – the first _real_ snow, not something that she made herself. She would have to wait. That was all right; for the moment, she didn't mind being caught up in the autumn, surrounded by the cool air and colourful leaves.

Going for a ride through the forest had been Anna's idea. "It's so pretty outside!" she'd said, throwing a window open and bending out over the sill as if being just a little bit closer to the distant forest would help her see it better. Then, without any warning at all, she dashed across the room, latched onto Elsa's hands, and pulled her over to it, exclaiming that Elsa really needed to see it for herself. It made Elsa laugh, all of it – all of that excitement, as if Anna didn't realize that Elsa knew exactly what it looked like outside.

After all, Elsa had been watching the changing colours quite a bit herself.

"Come on, let's go riding. Just for an afternoon. You can make time for that, right? Just a few hours. Ooh, we could pack a lunch, that would be so great! With sandwiches and cake and –"

It was true that Elsa had been very busy ever since her coronation. She had to run Arendelle; becoming queen and opening up the gates had changed so many things in her life. She had people she needed to meet with, and other people that she needed to consult. There were documents that needed to be read, evaluated, approved, and signed. There were letters that needed to be written. There were international matters considering Arendelle's relations with certain kingdoms in the south that needed to be... evaluated. 

She also had to explore her powers, and learn what they could do and what they couldn't, and not control them, but _exercise_ them. That took time. It would continue to take time. But she was getting better at it.

All of these were important things. But as Elsa held Anna back and quietly reminded her that she shouldn't lean so far out that she might fall – she decided that even with all that, regardless of all the other things that needed her attention, she could always make time for her sister.

* * *

The forest blazed with bright colours as they rode through it. 

They had started out dignified and slow, but as soon as they were out of sight of onlookers, and certainly out of sight of the town, Elsa glanced at Anna, and winked.

They sped off together down the tree-lined trail, leaving their attendants behind them.

Anna was laughing.

They stopped, eventually, at the banks of a stream, and dismounted. It was best, Elsa said, to give those poor attendants some time to catch up. It wouldn't do to distress them too much. Of course, her sister agreed – after all, their attendants had the sandwiches.

While Anna fussed at her horse and fed it sugar cubes, Elsa looked out across the stream, taking in the beautiful scene in front of her.

Endless forest, stretching on and on, rising up into the mountains until finally the trees gave way to bare peaks. So much of it was bright yellow and orange and brown, mixed with the sharp, dark shapes of evergreens. Growing along the stream's banks, flaring colour for the season, were bright red bushes and cheerful orange rosehips and speckled mushrooms.

Somewhere nearby, she could hear a squirrel chattering as it prepared itself for winter, and song from some birds that were, apparently, not quite ready to leave for their winter residences in the south just yet.

When was the last time she had been out in the forest like this? In the autumn, just like this? Elsa stroked her horse's muzzle, bit her lip, and thought. It had been a very long time. She did remember one occasion; she had been much, much younger. A long time ago, when she had been out riding with her father and her mother, before things went from bad to worse. And Anna had been there, too, but such a small child – too young to ride on her own, even if she wanted to.

The thought made her heart ache. It hurt to think about it. The four of them going out together. 

She let it hurt.

She understood now that sometimes, it had to hurt. Trying not to feel anything at all had never done anyone any good. It certainly hadn't done _her_ any good to try to put all of her emotions away and ignore them, pretending that they didn't exist. Not in the least. Her parents' hearts had been in the right place, but they were wrong.

Elsa took a deep breath, and then let it out. She concentrated, opening and closing her fingers, stretching them. After another deep breath, she sent the feelings down and out, slowly, slowly. As she did, hoarfrost crept along the forest floor, nibbling the edges of the fallen leaves at her feet. 

Let those feelings out, she thought. Create something beautiful from this instead.

It was different when she was doing it on purpose. Different from the old days, when the feelings came out no matter what, and trying to hold them in made it even worse, and in the end they went every which way, without any control or direction whatsoever. 

It was good now. Better. In more ways than one.

Then she went to Anna, who was engaged in full conversation with her horse, chattering up a storm even if it wouldn't talk back, or maybe it would.

Elsa wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly. Anna laughed, and turned to look at her. She was smiling broadly, her cheeks flushed from the cool autumn air. "Hey, wait – what's this about?"

"This was a good idea," Elsa said, tightening her hold on er. "A _great_ idea."

It didn't matter that she had so few memories of moments like this one, of seeing her countryside on a bright autumn day like this. Of seeing her sister like this, so happy to be outside, and happy to be with her again.

They could make new memories. They _would_ make new memories. Lots of them.

Always.


End file.
